gce english - assets - cambridge university...

Elizabeth A. Crippsand Caroline Footman

GCE EnglishLanguageA study and revisioncourse for O Level

PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

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© Cambridge University Press 2002

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no reproduction of any part may take place withoutthe written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2002

Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 521 00989 8 paperback

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Third printing 2003

iii

Contents

Introduction: the syllabus and the examination 1Who will find this book useful? 1Why is there a need for a new syllabus? 1What is covered in the syllabus? 1Why is it a ‘themed’ paper? 2Aims 2How the new syllabus is assessed 3New aspects of the syllabus 6

1 Reading a variety of texts for explicit meaning 8Reading for precise meaning: instruction texts 8Comparing: instruction texts 15Summarising: argument texts 19Comprehension: literary texts 22Sample exam questions and answers 28

2 Reading a variety of texts for implied meaning 32Reading report texts 34Reading persuasive texts 38Reading literary texts 54Sample exam questions and answers 58Inference in your own writing 61

3 From reading to writing 66Section A: Comprehension 66Section B: Summary and directed writing 81Section C: Essay 84

4 Presenting information from your reading 87Identifying the main and related ideas 87Understanding supporting details 92Presenting information in your own words 93Sample exam questions and answers 95

iv

5 Writing in different ways for different audiences 104Formal, consultative or casual style? 106Writing dialogue 113Organising your writing in a suitable way 113Presenting your work 120Sample exam questions and answers 130

6 Writing creatively in a range of styles 138Writing descriptively 138Writing narrative 142Writing dramatically 145Writing personally 148Writing discursively 150Pictures as a stimulus for writing 156Sample exam questions and answers 160

7 Writing accurately in standard English 176Standard and non-standard English 176A range of sentence structures 179Sentence types 180Choosing the right words 181Some problems of grammar 187Some problems of spelling 192Some problems of punctuation 194

8 Checking and correcting your examination paper 198Look carefully at instructions 198Check your paper for relevance 199Check your paper for accuracy of expression 200

Appendix 202Exemplar examination paper 202Answers to exemplar examination paper 206

Glossary 211

Contents

Reading a variety of texts for explicit meaning

How often do you need to interpret information, show understanding ofdetails, follow instructions? When you are taking an exam, the first test of yourunderstanding is reading the instructions and filling in the front page of youranswer book, before you have even been told to open your paper (see pages12–13)! Throughout your life you are constantly showing that you understandwhat you hear, see and read, even if you don’t always agree with it.

Showing understanding could be needed in real life when explaining howsomething works, reporting on an incident or using a piece of equipment. Inthe exam, the assessment of your understanding will often involverephrasing original information in your own words, so you will need to:

• understand the original;• follow any sequence in the text;• find information throughout a passage or document;• re-express words or phrases.

You may also need to compare two or more items in different styles toestablish whether the information in them varies.

Reading for precise meaning: instruction textsInstruction manuals which come with electrical equipment often contain awide range of types of information, including abbreviations, subject-specificterms, warnings, operating instructions, troubleshooting advice andguarantee details, each of which has its own style and layout. The language isusually very concise and specific, and the writer has to be very careful tomake it clear because of possible dangers and to prevent damage.

In this chapter you will practise:

understanding facts and detail

understanding new words in context

comparing texts

summarising texts

expressing things in your own words

Reading a variety of textsfor explicit meaning1

8

Let us examine a page from an instruction manual to see how you can bestshow your factual understanding. Study the page carefully, then look at thequestions, answers and comments on pages 10–11.

PRECAUTIONS

Safety precautions

DANGER:This VCR contains live parts. Do notremove the cabinet.

WARNING:To prevent fire or shock hazard, donot expose this product to rain ormoisture.

CAUTION:Do not put your hand or otherobjects in the cassette loading slotbecause of the risk of injury or anaccident. Be sure to keep smallchildren away from the VCR.

Caution concerning condensation

Be careful of condensation

Condensation can form inside a VCRwhen it is suddenly moved from acold place to a warm, humid one, orwhen a heater has been turned on toquickly heat the room.

Do not insert a video cassette if youuse this VCR in areas subject tocondensation.Wait for 11–2 to 2 hours to completely

eliminate condensation before usingthe VCR.

Operating precautions

• Place the VCR on a flat, stable,level surface. Never subject it toviolent shaking or any other shockor impact.

• Do not expose the unit to hightemperatures. Excessive heat(heat sources such as heaters,ovens, closed cars on hot days,etc.) may damage the unit.

• Be sure to use this VCR only in atemperature range of 5°C to 40°C(41˚F to 105˚F) and at less than80% humidity.

• Do not use the unit under thefollowing conditions:

- in locations with high humidity- in presence of excessive dirt or

dust- in areas subject to strong

vibrations- near strong magnetic fields (e.g.

transmitting antennas, motors,fluorescent lights, etc.)

• Do not stack anything on top ofyour VCR, or block the air vents,to prevent damaging oroverheating.

• Do not place anything, exceptVHS video cassette tapes, in theunit.

• Do not allow rain, steam, dew, saltwater, sand, oily smoke, metalobjects, etc. to enter the unit.

• Clean with a dry and soft cloth, ora soft cloth slightly moistened witha mild detergent solution.

• Do not use any type of solvent,such as alcohol or benzine.

Adapted from Sanyoinstruction manual.

GB

1INTRODUCTION

Only cassettes markedcan be used with thisVCR

9Reading for precise meaning: instruction texts

VHS

10

The manual uses the abbreviation VCR. What is this short for?

Video Cassette Recorder

The answer seems straightforward, and you may well have known thisalready. If not, there are three illustrations and the term ‘video cassette’ isused in the text.

Define a VCR in your own words.

A piece of electrical equipment which captures moving images and sound from atelevision or camera and transfers them onto a tape for playback. It can also be usedto copy other tapes.

This question is more challenging, as you need to show your understandingand the breadth and precision of your vocabulary. See how the explanationhas avoided the root of each of the original words, including changing‘record’ to ‘copy’ or ‘capture’. An electrical engineer might give a moreelaborate or technical definition; a dictionary might have a shorter one, butthe answer above would gain full marks in an English exam!

What is the name for a piece of equipment which records sounds but notimages?

A tape recorder, an audio tape machine, a telephone answering machine, or acassette recorder.

This is a different type of question, because the information is not in the text,and there are several possible answers. The question could also have beenasked in reverse: ‘What is the essential difference between an audio recorderand a VCR?’ This would have been a way of testing whether you knew thedifference between ‘audio’ and ‘video’ rather than the names of items ofequipment. It is very important to know what sort of information eachquestion is looking for in order to maximise your marks.

Question 2

Question 3

Question 1


Reading for precise meaning: instruction texts 11

Under the heading ‘Safety precautions’ there are three sections, labelled‘DANGER’, ‘WARNING’ and ‘CAUTION’. Can you explain the difference between these words?

‘Danger’ is the strongest, suggesting risk to life. ‘Warning’ suggests possible damage to equipment or people. ‘Caution’ suggests less serious consequences but still inconvenience or pain.

This question is asking you to distinguish between three similar words, in thiscase with differing degrees of force, so you are being tested on your ability tointerpret and explain them. It would be wrong here to use one of the wordsin the explanation of either of the others, such as ‘Danger is a warning.’

Give four examples of dry materials which should be kept out of the unit?

Dirt, dust, sand, metal objects.

This question requires you to differentiate between wet or damp and drymaterials and to find information in more than one section of the text. Youalso need to work out that advice to avoid dirty or dusty areas suggests thatthe machine could be damaged there.

Based on the advice in the booklet, would you recommend using the VCR inany of the following places?

a) near a beachb) on the slopes of a volcanoc) in a caravand) in an indoor sports arenae) on a boat

The answer to each of the choices is no.

The venues are not listed in the text, but you are advised to avoid sand,excessive heat or vibrations, fluorescent lights and salt water, each of which islikely to be present in one of the places listed.

Question 5

Question 6

Why would it be sensible not to spray the machine with a cleaning agent?

You are advised to use a dry or slightly damp cloth, and to avoid solvent which might contain alcohol.

The mark scheme for such a question would have at least two marks, whichwould be an indication that the answer should contain two ideas.

Question 7

Question 4

Some of these questions are more straightforward than others, but they allrefer to information which is stated in the text, or relates very closely to it.There are some responses which require you to make links and use yourjudgement, but not to search for a viewpoint or opinion or a hidden agenda. Itwould be strange if an instruction booklet did contain any of these attitudes,as factual writing should be clear, unambiguous, helpful and objective.

If you were to look in a reference source, such as an encyclopaedia, websiteor textbook, you would expect to find facts, definitions and information ofvarying levels of complexity, rather than opinions, debate or persuasion. It isimportant to be able to distinguish between fact and opinion, both in sourcematerial and in your own responses. If, for example, you had used a VCR ona boat without problems, this should not affect your response to Question 6,which asks you to use the text from the booklet to find the answer. (After all, if the VCR had broken down while being used in this situation, themanufacturers would probably deny liability, as their advice would have been ignored.)

Reading the exam paperYou can help yourself to feel confident, save time and approach the papermore calmly if you are familiar with the rubric for the whole paper and foreach section. Of course, you will still need to study the texts and questions,but you will have a better idea of what to expect and how to tackle it andorganise your time.

Let’s look at the instructions on the front of a typical exam paper on page 13. It is possible that nerves or anxiety may affect your ability to followinstructions; some students seem confused by what seems clear to others.Rest assured that your paper will be marked even if you haven’t filled in theinformation in the right boxes, but you will feel more confident, and it willbe easier for the marker, if you are sure what to do.

The points on the front page appear under sub-headings, in order ofimportance. If you have a chance to study practice papers you shouldfamiliarise yourself with the rubric. When you study the question paperitself, you will also notice the use of capitals, bold print, an indication ofmarks, asterisks and maybe footnotes. It will be important to take note ofeach of these, as they will help you to understand what examiners arelooking for and what you need to do to gain credit for your answers.

Some instructions are in bold or capitals, to emphasise their importance, forexample, ‘Answer ALL questions in Sections A and B and ONEquestion from Section C.’ In some other subjects you may have a differentnumber of sections or choice of questions.

The phrasing of other points alters the tone and degree of compulsion, forexample, ‘You should pull out the passages and spend 15 minutes readingthese texts before answering the questions’ is advice rather than an edict. Itappears in a section headed ‘Information for Candidates’. This is just meantas a helpful suggestion; your teacher may have given you different guidance,

12 Reading a variety of texts for explicit meaning

13

Paper Reference(s)

7161London Examinations GCEEnglish LanguageOrdinary LevelSpecimen PaperFirst examination June 2003Time: 3 hours

Materials required for examination Items included with question papers

Answer book (AB16) Nil

Instructions to CandidatesAnswer ALL questions in Sections A and B and ONE question from Section C.

In the boxes on the answer book, write the name of the examining body (LondonExaminations), your centre number, candidate number, the subject title (English Language), the paper reference (7161), your surname, other names and signature.

Answer your questions in the answer book. Use supplementary answer sheets if necessary.

Information for CandidatesThe total mark for this paper is 100. The marks for parts of questions are shown in roundbrackets: e.g. (2).

The questions in this paper are based on the two texts inserted with this paper. You shouldspend 15 minutes reading these texts before answering the questions.

Advice to CandidatesWrite your answers neatly and legibly.

This publication may only be reproduced in accordance with Edexcel copyright policy.Edexcel Foundation is a registered charity. ©2000

Reading for precise meaning: instruction texts

and it is unlikely that anyone will check whether you have followed it to theletter. ‘Use supplementary answer sheets if necessary’ is also guidance, butmust be followed if you need more paper, so is included in the Instructionssection. ‘Write your answers clearly and legibly’ could appear on the frontpage of any exam paper. We hope that candidates will follow this advice, butif you make mistakes or have to cross out work, as long as your answers arelegible, they will be marked.


Comparing: instruction textsIf you wanted to cook a particular dish, you might well look in several recipebooks to compare recipes, maybe to find the one which matched most closelythe ingredients in your cupboard or your preferences for flavour or cookingmethod. You might want to combine recipes to make up your own version.

Look at the following recipes for making pizza bases and complete the tasksthat follow.

15

Adapted from ClassicVegetarian by Rose Elliot.

Pizza base(Makes one 30cm (12in) round pizza base or four 15cm (6in) bases.)

INGREDIENTS175g (6oz) plain strong white flour175g (6oz) plain strong wholemeal flour1/2 tsp* salt15g ( 1–

2oz) fresh yeast or 2 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp sugar200ml (7fl oz) tepid water45ml (3 tbsp*) olive oilbutter or oil to grease the baking sheet

Preparation

1 Tip the flours and salt into a large bowl, mix roughly together with your fingers andleave in a warm place until warm (not hot) to the touch.

2 If using fresh yeast, crumble into a small bowl with the sugar and pour in the tepidwater. If using dried yeast, put the water and sugar into the bowl first, then sprinklethe yeast on top and stir.

3 Leave the yeast until it has frothed up like the head on a glass of beer: about fiveminutes.

4 Add the oil to the flour, and pour in the yeast. Mix to a dough that leaves the sidesof the bowl clean, then turn it out on to a clean work surface and knead for 5–10minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. If sticky, add more flour.

5 Return the dough to the bowl and cover with clingfilm or a clean tea towel wrungout in hot water. Leave in a warm place until the dough has almost doubled in size:30 minutes to an hour.

6 Lightly grease a pizza plate or baking sheet with butter or olive oil.7 Punch down the dough with your fist, remove it from the bowl and knead it briefly.

Flatten it into a circle 30cm (12in) in diameter or, to make individual pizzas, dividethe dough into four pieces and flatten these into circles. Place on the plate orbaking sheet.

8 Arrange topping of choice.9 Bake for 10–15 minutes for individual pizzas, 20 minutes for a large one.

* tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon

Text A

Comparing: instruction texts

16

Pizza

When it comes to making bread and pizza doughs, I prefer to remain as old-fashioned and traditional as possible. There is no dried yeast and no food processorfor me. I like the frothiness and unmistakable smell of fresh yeast and the kneadingand stretching and general thumping of the dough. But I admit that this is pureromanticism and you could halve the preparation time by resorting to labour-savingdevices.This recipe makes six 10cm/4in pizzas. I prefer my pizza bases thin and crisp sodon’t allow for a second rising. If you prefer a thicker, more focaccia-like* base, youmust allow the dough to rise for a further 20 minutes after rolling it out.

* focaccia = Italian bread

Adapted from Full ofBeans by Lifespan

Collective Ltd.

Pizza

For the bread dough:12oz wholewheat flour1oz fresh yeast or 1–

2oz dried yeast

2 tbsp oil1–4– 1–

2pt warm water

1 tsp salt1 tsp sugar or honey

Cream the yeast with the sugar in a cup and blend it with the warm water. Put the cupin a warm place until the yeast mixture is frothy. Meanwhile, put the flour and salt in abowl somewhere warm. When the yeast mixture is active and frothy, mix it with the oilinto the flour and salt until a soft dough is formed. Add more water if necessary (floursvary enormously in the amount of water they need). The dough should not be toosticky, but should feel soft and silky. Knead it well. A low surface is essential to get agood amount of pressure and strength behind your kneading. The more you knead, thebetter your dough will be. Then place your dough in an oiled container which is bigenough to allow it to double its size. Brush the top with oil, cover the container with adamp cloth and put it in a warm place until doubled in bulk (45 minutes–1 1–

4hours).

Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. When the dough has risen, knead again, thenplace on an oiled baking tray and flatten to about 1–

8inch thick. The base can be the

shape of the baking tray, a circle on a bigger tray or little circles for individual pizzas,whichever you prefer. Pour on the topping. Leave in a warm place to rise for 30–40minutes. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the bread base is cooked. Serve witha salad.

Text B

Text C


Comparing: instruction texts 17

You will have immediately noticed differences between these recipes, inlength, layout, units of measurement and other features. To start, however,let’s look at the basic similarities, taking the ingredients first.

The answer is flour, yeast, oil, water, salt, sweetener (sugar or honey).These may be common ingredients, but there are still differences in thequantities and types used.

Adapted from The NewCranks Recipe Book byNadine Abensur.

INGREDIENTSFor the dough15g/ 1–

2oz fresh yeast

1–2 tsp caster sugar150ml/6fl oz hand-hot water300g/10oz strong white flour1 heaped tsp salt1 tbsp virgin olive oil

METHODDissolve the fresh yeast with the sugar in a little of the water and set aside for about 10 minutes until a froth appears on the surface. Place the flour mixed with the salt in amound on your worktop or simply in a bowl and make a shallow well in the centre. Put thewarm liquid into the well and mix with the flour. Then add the olive oil and the rest of thewater. It is difficult to give an exact quantity of water so if the dough is too sticky, simplysprinkle a little more flour into it and if it is too dry and does not hold together properly,add a little more water until the dough comes away cleanly from the work surface or bowl.Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

Place in a lightly floured bowl and make an incision across the top with a knife, whichwill help it rise. Sprinkle a little more flour on top, cover loosely with a tea towel and placein a warm, draught-free spot to rise until doubled in volume. This may take as little as 45minutes or as long as three hours, depending on the temperature.

Knock back the dough, adding a little flour if necessary, then knead it briefly – a couple ofminutes will do. Divide the dough into even-sized lumps and roll each into a rough circle.The dough should not be thicker than 2.5mm / 1–

8in thick when rolled out.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.Prick each of the pizza bases with a fork; brush generously with topping. Drizzle olive oil

lightly over the top. Place on a lightly floured baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until thepizza dough is crisped and lightly browned around the edges.

If you were assembling the ingredients to make pizza for your friends,

what would you need for the base? In spite of the minor differences in

adjectives, quantities and order, could you list the six vital ingredients?

Task 1

You can clearly see that there are differences in quantities and types offlour, the single largest ingredient.

Now look at the methods. The easiest way to compare them might be tomake three lists of numbered points, in the form of a summary or notes. Thiswill show both whether you have understood the recipes and if there are anymajor differences. You could start with Text A as it is already laid out asnumbered points.

Text A1 Put salt and flour, mixed, in large bowl in warm place until warm.2 Fresh yeast, crumble into small bowl, add sugar and tepid* water.

Dried yeast, add to water and sugar.3 Leave yeast till frothy (about 5 minutes).4 Add yeast and oil to flour. Mix until sides of bowl are clean,

then knead** on clean surface until soft and silky (5–10 minutes). Add more flour if sticky.

*Did you understand ‘tepid’? You could look in the other recipes for clues.They refer to ‘warm’ and ‘hand-hot’water; a dictionary gives ‘slightly’ warm or ‘lukewarm’.

**Did you understand ‘knead’? This is a technical term which appears in all three recipes, so it is obviouslyimportant and subject-specific. Can you work it out from the context? Have a go before you check in adictionary! See page 19 for the answer.


Complete a grid to show the differences.

Task 2

Recipe A Recipe B Recipe C

Flour 175g (6oz) plain 12oz wholewheat 10oz strong whitestrong white; 175g flour flour(6oz) plain strong wholemeal

Yeast

Oil

Water

Salt

Sweetener

Text B1 Put the flour and salt in a bowl in a warm place. (Notice we’ve altered the

order here, to make comparison easier.)2 Cream fresh yeast with sugar (no mention of honey) in a cup, blend with

water.3 Leave yeast mixture in a warm place until frothy.4 Add yeast with oil to flour and salt; mix until soft dough has formed. Add

more water if needed; dough should be soft and silky, not sticky. Kneadwell. (Note that Texts A and B both use the term ‘soft and silky’.)

Text C1 Place flour with salt mixed in on worktop or in bowl (no mention of pre-

warming).2 Dissolve yeast and sugar in a little water.3 Leave for 10 minutes until frothy.4 Make a well in the flour and salt mix. Add yeast mixture, oil and rest of

water.

When you have completed the lists of points for each of the three recipes,you can see the basic recipe outline and decide which one you wish tofollow. This is a practical example of understanding, comparing andsummarising texts, during which you have practised skills that you will needin the exam. Maybe you will also want to try to make a pizza!

(** To knead = to work and press a soft substance, such as a bread dough, into a uniform mixture with thehands.)

Summarising: argument textsIn the exam, understanding of information is also tested in summary anddirected writing questions, which require you to identify points, to select andorganise them according to the task set, and to try to express them in yourown words.

Look at the following article, with contributions from a panel of writers.

Summarising: argument texts 19

Can you continue these points for this recipe? Try making a list of points

for the other recipes as well. We’ll start you off.

Task 3


From The Guardian.

Jack O’SullivanFathers DirectThere are two issues with risky behaviourwhen you become a parent. The first is aboutmaking sure you don’t die; the second isabout setting a good example to your child.Becoming a father made me less of a risk-taker because I felt that I had a duty tosurvive. I had parachuted before mydaughter was born and I would do it againbecause it feels safe, but I wouldn’t gobungee-jumping or ride a motorbike becausethat doesn’t feel safe. I think you should tellthe truth to a child if you’ve been reckless inthe past, but it doesn’t mean you have tocarry on that way once you become a parent.

Verdict: Parachuting

Eric WaltonMotorcyclist, father of twoUnlike Madonna, I ride a motorbike. But Ididn’t get on one until I was 40 and had hadlots of experience driving a car first. Mybike is the apple of my eye, but I wouldn’tencourage my children on to it. I don’t thinkbikes are a good idea when you have no roadexperience and haven’t got your hormonesunder control. I think there are variousactivities that are for adults and various onesthat are for children. It’s important to explainto them there are things that accrue to you ata certain stage of your life. If you try toprotect your children from everything, itcreates a joyless and restricted life.

Verdict: Mature motorbiking

Sheila WolfendaleProfessor of educational psychologyand grandmotherParenthood bring responsibilities. It meansthat decision-making in all aspects of life hasto be more considered. I know fromexperience what conflict there can bebetween the hedonistic impulse to dosomething you have always done and the

equal and opposite impulse to duty. Iwouldn’t be surprised if even Madonna had afew seconds of doubt before deciding not tobuy a motorbike. I think that every decisionthat a parent makes – whether it is to go offtrekking in the South American rainforest orthe smaller everyday matters – is weighed upmuch more carefully once children arrive.

Verdict: No trekking

Jane BrewerTrekker, mother of oneFor the first few years of my son’s life Icalmed down a bit, but now he’s five I feelback to how I was before. He and I travelledaround India for six weeks at Easter. It wassomething I had always wanted to do and Ididn’t see a problem with taking him along.Everyone thought I was mad to take a childto India and my mum wouldn’t speak to methe night before we left. I’ve come to realisethat when I’m happy, he’s happy: it’simportant not to be put off doing things justbeacuse you’re a parent. If you want to do itall when you become a parent, you have todo it all.

Verdict: Passage to India

Lindis PercyActivist, midwife and motherAs a parent, you have to strike a balancebetween what you want to do and what thefamily needs. But if you do believe verystrongly in something – as I do in theelimination of weapons of mass destruction –you have to resist a lot of family pressures. Iwent to prison for the first time for myactivism when the children were teenagers. Ihave always felt that what I’m doing incampaigning for peace is for the children andthe next generation anyway. There has beenconflict in the family but I don’t think that’sunhealthy. The trick is to manage itsuccessfully.

Verdict: Protest and survive

The PanelThe Question: Madonna has vetoed Guy Ritchie’s idea of his’n’hers Harley-Davidsons on the grounds that riding a motorbike is irresponsible behaviour forparents. So what kind of risk is acceptable for mums and dads who still want toget their kicks?

This activity has asked you to identify, classify and summarise, and the gridreveals varied views. You are not asked for your opinion, but to present theinformation in the article in a different format. In order to complete the gridyou have to understand the article. A further task, asking you to commenton what the article revealed about the personalities of the contributors,would deal with implicit information, which is covered in the next chapter.An article about the lives of children of risk-taking parents would also needyou to change your terms of reference and look beneath the informationpresented.

Summarising: argument texts 21

Complete the grid below for each of the five panellists to show

a) the activities;

b) the degree of risk involved;

c) whether parents should tackle them, and why.

The first line is completed for you.

Task 1

Use the grid you have completed to make notes for a debate on

responsible parenthood. You are not sure which side you will take, so

you need to prepare points for and against parents of young children

taking unnecessary risks. Make a list of points on each side of the

argument, under two headings. Again, the list is started for you.

Motorcycling may cause you a problem, so you need to think carefully

about conflicting views amongst the panel.

Task 2

ACTIVITY RISK YES/NO COMMENTS

Panellist 1 Parachuting Low Yes Feels safeMotorcycling

Panellist 2

Panellist 3

Panellist 4

Panellist 5

RISKS WORTH TAKING RISKS NOT TO BE TAKENParachuting – feels safe Bungee jumping – doesn’t feel safeMotorcycling – OK if you have Motorcycling – doesn’t feel safelots of road experience


Prepare a debating speech to propose the motion that parents should

not take unnecessary risks because of their responsibilities towards

their children.

Decide which side of the argument you support and, using your notes

from Task 2 and referring back to the article, select the points which

would fit your side. They might start something like this:

1 Two main issues – stay alive; be a good role model.

2 What feels/is safe?

3 Parenthood changes your attitude to risk-taking.

4 Difference between safety for adults and children.

5 Give them something to look forward to.

Task 3

Once you have completed the list of points, you need to organise them,avoiding unnecessary repetition and structuring them in the most effectiveway.

You might decide to deal with the conflicting views by acknowledging themboth; on the other hand you could ignore them, but then you risk missingthe opportunity of countering one of the opposing side’s points. This couldweaken your argument.

This whole exercise demonstrates the importance of identifying,understanding and organising arguments, before you can select what is mostappropriate for the new purpose and format.

Comprehension: literary textsOften in a piece of descriptive writing there are contextual clues which willhelp you to make intelligent guesses as to the meanings of new words. Thesemay include synonyms, giving alternative words for the same meaning;multiple adjectives to build up a picture; words from the same language root;or other pointers. In a comprehension, especially in vocabulary questions,you need to study words in context to make sure you are not misled.

Check that the meaning you choose for a word is the one which fits in thepassage, as many words in English have more than one meaning. Think of‘fits’ in the previous sentence. In one English dictionary the verb ‘fit’ haseight meanings, the adjective has eight and the noun has a further six. Someof the meanings are similar, but it is vital to check back that the definitionyou have chosen is the correct one for the sense in the text.

Read the following description, which includes some words which may beambiguous.

23

A Pair of Yellow LiliesRuth Rendell

A famous designer, young still, who first became well known when she made aprincess’s wedding dress, was coming to speak to the women’s group of which BridgetThomas was secretary. She would be the second speaker in the autumn program, whichwas devoted to success and how women had achieved it.

Bridget had a precarious job in a small and not very prosperous bookshop. In her mid-thirties, with a rather pretty face that often looked worried and worn, she thoughtthat she might learn something from this current series of talks. Secrets of success mightbe imparted, blueprints for achievements, even shortcuts to prosperity. She never hadenough money, never knew security, could not have aspired to a designer ready-to-weareven when such a garment had been twice marked down in a sale. Clothes, anyway, werehardly a priority, coming a long way down the list of essentials which was headed byrent, fares, and food, in that order.

In the library, where she had gone to research the speaker, she was not noticeable. Shewas not, in any case and anywhere, the kind of woman on whom second glances arebestowed. On this Wednesday evening, when the shop closed at its normal time and thelibrary later than usual, she could be seen by those few who cared to look wearing a longblack skirt with a dusty appearance, a T-shirt of a slightly different shade of black – it hadbeen washed fifty times at least – and a waistcoat in dark striped cotton. Her shoes wereblack-velvet Chinese slippers with instep straps and there was a hole she didn’t knowabout in her turquoise-blue tights, low down on the left calf. Bridget’s hair was wispy,long and fair, worn in loops. She was carrying an enormous black-leather bag, capaciousand heavy, and full of unnecessary things. Herself the first to admit this, she often said shemeant to make changes in the matter of this bag but she never got around to it.

This evening the bag contained a number of crumpled tissues, some pink, some white,a spray bottle of cologne, three ballpoint pens, a pair of nail scissors, a pair of nailclippers, a London tube pass, a phone-card, an address book, a mascara in a shade calledAfter-Midnight Blue, a chequebook, a notebook, a postcard from a friend on holiday inFrance, a calculator, a paperback she had always meant to read but was not getting onvery fast with, a container of nasal spray, a bunch of keys, a book of matches, a silverring with a green stone, probably onyx, a pheasant’s feather picked up while staying for the weekend in someone’s cottage in Somerset, three quarters of a bar of milkchocolate, a pair of sunglasses, and her wallet – which contained the single credit cardshe possessed, her bank-cheque card, her library card, her never-needed driving licence,and seventy pounds, give or take a little, in five- and ten-pound notes. There was alsoabout four pounds in change.

Comprehension: literary texts

From A Pair of Yellow Liliesby Ruth Rendell.

Where did clothes come in her list of priorities?

We are told that clothes came ‘a long way down the list of essentials’, so allwe know for sure is that they come after ‘rent, fares, and food’, not howmany other items come in between them.

Why did she go to the library on Wednesdays?

Look at the sentence in the second paragraph which mentions the library. Weare told that the shop (that is, the bookshop where Bridget worked) ‘closedat its normal time and the library [closed] later than usual.’ We can thereforework out that she could only go to the library when it was open late, at atime when she was not working in the shop.

Question 5

Question 4

24

What was Bridget Thomas’s paid job?

In the passage, the answer to Question 2 is given first. The paid job is the onein the bookshop, as a shop assistant.

The unpaid post is secretary of the women’s group. Do not assume that thequestions will necessarily follow the order of the passage.

What was her unpaid post?

Why was her job described as ‘precarious’?

Look for the sentence where her job is called ‘precarious’. Read the rest ofthe sentence: ‘in a small and not very prosperous bookshop’. The fact thatthe bookshop is small is not in itself a reason for the job insecurity suggestedby ‘precarious’, but combined with ‘not very prosperous’ (i.e. not makingmuch profit) and the fact that she was an employee rather than the owner,her position is vulnerable or precarious.

Question 2

Question 3

Question 1

Now answer the following questions. Some ideas to help you are givenbelow each question.


Comprehension: literary texts 25

What evidence is there in the passage that her bag was ‘capacious’?

You can work out the meaning of ‘capacious’ both by its similarity to‘capacity’ and by the lengthy paragraph which describes the contents of thehandbag. It is therefore likely that a bag which holds so many items is large,but a more precise meaning would be ‘capable of holding a great deal, roomy,spacious’. The answer would need to show both an understanding of theword ‘capacious’ and give the evidence, that is the number of items, somebulky, that it contained.

Question 6

How would you describe her financial position?

We are given information about her poor financial position in several placesin the passage. This question requires you to take note of both the directreferences (‘never had enough money’, ‘precarious job’, ‘never knewsecurity’) and the indirect ones about her clothes, the contents of herhandbag, etc.

Question 7

Give three reasons for your answer to Question 7.

Question 7 could be answered ‘always short of money’ or ‘not very secure’ or‘always worrying about juggling her finances’ or ‘of limited means’.

The evidence for Question 8 is varied, and includes the points in theprevious paragraph. Her clothes did not match and her T-shirt had beenwashed many times. The fact that her tights had a hole in them could,however, be evidence of a lack of awareness rather than poverty, so you needto take care here. The contents of her wallet are indicative of a limitedlifestyle, in that she possessed only one credit card and did not need herdriving licence (presumably because she did not own a car). The detail aboutthe cash might suggest wealth, but could also suggest a keen awareness ofhow much she had. Can you see how you must take great care to read boththe passage and the question in order to identify the correct information for aquestion like this? Guessing, or writing down the first three points you read,might lose you marks.

Question 8

26

Give another word or phrase (maximum 5 words) for each of the following, asused in the passage:

devoted worn current shortcuts calf

These words have been deliberately chosen because each of them could havemore than one meaning or definition, so beware!

‘Devoted’ can mean ‘feeling loyalty or devotion’, ‘ardent’, ‘devout’,‘dedicated’ or ‘consecrated’. Look carefully at the passage to help you decidewhich meaning best fits here. There is no sense of religious fervour in thecontext, so the meaning is unlikely to be ‘devout’ or ‘consecrated’. ‘Feelingloyalty or devotion’ does not fit either, as the topic is not personal.‘Dedicated’ conveys the meaning of a program on a single theme, so‘dedicated’ or ‘assigned’ would fit here.

‘Worn’ might make you think of the past of ‘to wear’ as later in theparagraph there is mention of clothes. It can therefore mean affected by longuse (as in ‘worn-out clothes’), but a better definition when applied to a facewould be ‘haggard’, ‘drawn’ or ‘weary’.

‘Current’ is unlikely to refer to a flow of water or air or electricity here; youcan choose between ‘of the immediate present’, ‘in progress’ or even‘contemporary’. Each would gain credit in an exam.

‘Shortcuts’ is used metaphorically here. The concrete meaning would be aroute that is shorter than the usual one, so you could define this use as‘time- or effort-saving methods’, which just fits the five-word limit.

‘Calf’ is unlikely to mean a young cow here. Context should tell you that itis part of the body on which tights are worn, and probably visible under herlong skirt. ‘Lower leg’ or ‘leg above the ankle’ would be precise enough.

Question 9


Comprehension: literary texts 27

I was about to witness goat racing. A little later there would be crab racing. I wasfighting my way through ice-cream vans, hordes of people, food stalls and hot musicsingeing my eardrums. Even though the general movement was towards theracecourse, I elbowed my way through the crowds in an effort to get a good pitch.An area had been cordoned off to make a course for the competitors, not quite on apar with the traditional racing scale but on a parallel assumption that spectators wereto line either side of a stretch of ground along which the participants would travel.

Some people take this event very seriously. “The goats are looking frisky.” I wishI could have used that expression to describe what I saw. The glazed preoccupationof the goats as they stood chewing their cuds made them look anything but ‘frisky’.You will not find jockeys seated on their mounts here. Good job too! An attempt wasmade to keep a handful of select goats in order. No mean achievement when dealingwith an animal fabled to eat almost anything it can lay its mouth to. At the end ofeach rope was a man holding a stick.

And they were off! I soon got the idea. It was how quickly you and yourquadruped could race the other men and theirs to the finishing line. Bare feet andhooves pounded stones further into the ground. The humans were moving as if theirlives depended on it. The goats were probably certain their lives did. Curried goat isa delicacy on the islands. First one across the line got cooked? Or was it the last oneto cross who went into the pot? Either way, it would be best to play safe and stayclose to the middle. The tension on the rope was nail-biting. There always is one.There is always one soul who remains oblivious to ruin. The hooves of one billy*were thudding on the quaking earth as if his life would begin when he reached thefinishing line. His minder looked a worried man. He had reason. His feet had hardlytouched the ground since the race began. He was hanging on to the end of the ropewith both hands and being tugged to the finishing line. He was declared the winner.Rumour had it the goat ended up in the pot, anyway. They had to throttle it to get itto stop running. The minder responded to everyone who congratulated him with thesame surprised, bewildered smile.

From Sequins for a RaggedHen by Amryl Johnson.

* billy = a male goat

Your turn

Now try some questions for yourself. The next example is part of anaccount of local entertainment in the Caribbean.

gce english - assets - cambridge university...

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